Metallic railway-tie



J. A. HYLE.

METALLIC RAILWAY TIE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1919 1,322,446. Patented N0v.'18, 1919;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB A. HYLE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T'O TRI-CITY STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METALLIC RAILWAY-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Application filed June 2, 1919. Serial No. 301,179.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB A. HYLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of metallic railway ties for use on steam and electric railways, and means for securely supporting the track rails in their proper position upon the ties.

The main object of the invention is to provide a strong, durable, economical and efiicient railway tie and rail supporting means possessing the required strength to withstand the usual strains to which the tie and rail supporting means are normally subjected when in use and which are so constructed as to materially increase their longevity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a metallic railway tie in connection with wooden blocks constituting a resilient support for the track rails, and a safe and reliable insulation of the rails so that the rails will serve as efiicient conductors in connection with the usual automatic signaling systems.

A further object of this invention is to so construct the improved tie that the number of ties required per mile of roadbed will be materially reduced.

Still further objects of the invention are to so construct the tie that the wooden blocks used in connection therewith may be readily and easily removed and a new block replaced by one employee and without removing the tie, or in any manner disturbing the track rail or roadbed ballast; to safely and firmly secure the wooden blocks to the tie, thus maintaining absolute safety in the gage of the track rails; to'secure the track rails in their proper position upon the wooden blocks by means of the ordinary railway spike now employed for the purpose of securing the track rails to a wooden tie; to provide improved means for preventing the wooden blocks from spreading apart unor tangents where they are subjected to the most excessive pressureand strain.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuing description are accomplished by the means hereinafter more fully described, and by the construction, combination, arrangement and location ofv the parts such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changes in the precise form, proportions and minor details of the construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification it will be seen that:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the improved railway tie embodying the invention, showing a portion of the track rails secured thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the block securing keys in reversed position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the wooden blocks, their securing means and track rails removed from the tie.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the metal tie.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation, showing a portion of a track rail secured thereto, and

Fig. 6 is anenlarged perspective, showing oneform of the fastening keys employed.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention I utilize a railway tie of suitable and desirable dimen sions made from any suitable metallic material, but is preferably made from cast-off or worn-out steel railway rails by cutting web and base portion thereof into the form illustrated in the drawings, which comprises a Hat laterally extended base portion 2, and a central vertical member 3 extending the entire length of the tie, each end of the central member being downwardly and outwardly inclined at 4.

The track rails 5 are seated and rest upon the upper surface of the wooden blocks 6, there being two blocks on each side of the central vertical member 3, and two blocks near each end of the tie, each block having smooth straight vertical faces and resting upon the upper surface of the laterally extended base portion of the tie, the upper surface of each block extending a suitable distance above the vertical portion of the tie to effectually insulate the track rails from the tie, and to form a wide bearing surface at the upper portion thereof for the base of the track rail. The size of the blocks is su'llicient to furnish the required strength to support the track rails and re: tain the rail fastening means, such as plain spikes or screw spikes such as are ordinarily used for securing the track rails to a wooden tie, said spikes being forced into the wooden blocks with the head portion of each spike overlapping and in contact with the upper surface of the rail base. i

The wooden blocks 6 are preferably im pregnated with crude oil or creosote to increase their durability and are formed rectangular in cross section, and adapted to fit accurately upon the base portion and against the central vertical member of the tie, the dimensions of the blocks being uniform so that they may be turned upside down or either side may be utilized as the top or track rail supporting surface.

The securing means employed for firmly and rigidly clan'iping each block to the body portion of the tie consists of two headed bolts 7, screw threaded at one end thereof, two clamping plates 8, which extend from the top to the bottom of the block, and two securing nuts 9, each bolt passing through the opening in the block and the opening 10 in the central member of the tie, whereby the blocks, tie and clamping plates are all securely locked together by the said bolts 7, and the securing nuts 9 fitted to the threaded end of each bolt and resting in contact with the outer surface of each clamping plate 8.

It will be perceived that each clamping plate 8 is provided on its inner face with an integral elongated vertically arranged extension 11, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, above and below its central opening for the securing bolt, said extensions being adapted to enter and become embedded into the outer face of each block, thereby preventingairv vibratory or swinging movement of the blocks or the plates when the parts are securely locked together, and the clamping plates embrace the outer side wall of each block its entire height in orderto prevent the splitting of the block.

To assure safety by preventing the spread ing apart of the wooden blocks should the securing bolts become broken or impaired. the central vertical member is provided near each end thereof with a slot 12 tliel'ethrough,

which slot is formed adjacent to the outer end face of each block and is adapted to receive a steel wedge-shaped split key 13 which is driven in said slot with its flat inner face 1a resting in contact with the outer end face of each block, thereby serving to prevent any out-ward movement of the blocks, and, owing to the shape of the key 13, its wedge surrace 15 will bind against the outer side wall formed by the slot, while its lower split portion will bind against the lower edge when the key is driven in, thus retaining the key in place and preventingit from being bounced or pounded out by the heavy rolling stock passing over the track rails.

it will be understood that these blO;'kS may be ordinarily removed, after disengag ing their securing means, and removing the ballast between them, by pushing or driving them inward, but when the ties are used in sections of the roadbed where water troughs are utilized, they cannot be moved toward the center of the tie, since they would contact with the trough which would be riveted or otherwise securely fastened to the steel portion of the tie, hence under these conditions it is simply necessary to remove the block securing means, the rail securing spikes and the track ballast at the end portion of the tie, drive out the securing key with an ordinary han'nner and readily remove the block toward the end of the tie.

In order to insure against accidental sidewise and endwise skidding or creeping of the ties when the ground is froren and the steel ties would be more likely to skid on the frozen ballast, the base portion of the tie is formed with a plurality of integral depending longitudinalv extensions 20 at either side of the central member, said extensions or ribs 20 being adapted to project into the roadbed beneath the tie, thus serving to retain the ties in their proper position under all conditions. The integral ribs or extensions 20 are preferably formed during the rolling process by being forced downward from the base of the tie, at such points as to prevent interference with the trackmen during their ordinary tamping of the ties, these extensions, together with the track ballast filled in between the blocks and at the outer eiid of said blocks, effectively pic-eventing any lateral longitudinal or skidding action of the railway ties during the excessive strains to which they are subjected, more especially at curves.

It will be observed that each wooden block projects above the metal portion of the tie, thereby constituting an insulating medium and preventing interference with the use of electric signaling means, and the laterally extended base portion of the tie upon which the wooden blocks are supported forms a .widened tie, thus materially reducing the number of ties per mile of roadbed as are usually required, and it is more readily retained in place than the narrower ties.

The wooden blocks such as utilized are inexpensive, since the ends of logs and other pieces of wood are used up which would ordinarily be classed as waste material.

It will also be seen that when the clamping plates are secured to the outer side wall of each block by the fastening bolts and nuts the fiber of the wooden blocks will become tightly compressed and prevented from splitting when the rail fastening spikes are driven therein, and the blocks will be held securely in contact with the base of the tie, thus preventing any up and down move ment from the said base with the wave motion of the rail during the passage of the rolling stock over the track rails, and there can be no shifting of the blocks without mov ing the entire tie and track rail supporting means, thereby insuring and maintaining the proper gage of the track rails andalinement of the track.

The track rails are shown as seated upon the upper surfaceof the wooden blocks, but it will be obvious that, if desired, any suitable or desirable plate may be utilized to rest upon the blocks and thereby form a seat for the track rail base.

It will be understood that the depending extensions or ribs 20 may be roughened, serrated, or corrugated throughout their length, if desired, in order to more eflectually aid in preventing any transverse or longitudinal movement of the metallic ties.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A metallic railway tie comprising a flat base portion, a central vertical member provided with a. vertical slot therethrough at a point near each end thereof adapted to receive securing means, and a plurality of integral longitudinal extensions depending from the base thereof at either side of said central member extending throughout the length of the tie.

2. A metallic railway tie comprising a flat base portion, a central vertical member, two wooden blocks seated upon the base at each side of the central member, means for securing said blocks to the tie, means for securing the track rails to the blocks, slots formed through the central member at the outer end faces of each block, and removable means fitted in said slots adapted to contact with the outer end face of each block to prevent the outward movement of the blocks.

3. A metallic railway tie comprising a fiat base portion, a central vertical member provided with a vertical slot therethrough near each end thereof, two wooden blocks seated upon the base at each side of the central member, means for securing said blocks to the tie, means for securing the track rails to the blocks, removable means fitted in said slots adapted to contact with the outer end face of each block to prevent their outward movement, and a plurality of longitudinal depending extensions formed from the base of the tie at each side of the central member extending the entire length of the tie.

4:. A metallic railway tie comprising a flat base portion, a central vertical member provided with a vertical slot therethrough near each end thereof, two wooden blocks seated upon the base at each side of the central member, means for securing said blocks to the tie, means for securing the track rails to the blocks, wedge-shaped split keys driven into the said slots with the inner face of each key resting in contact with the outer end face of each block to prevent outward movement of the blocks, and a plurality of integral longitudinal depending extensions formed from its base at each side of the central member throughout the length of the tie and adapted to prevent lateral and longitudinal movement of the tie.

5. A metallic railway tie comprising a flat base portion, a central Vertical member provided with a vertical slot therethrough near each end thereof, two wooden blocks at each side of the central member and projecting above said member, means for securing the blocks to the tie, means for securing the track rails to the blocks, steel keys driven into the said slots with the flat inner face of each key resting in contact with the outer end face of each block to prevent outward movement of the blocks, and a plurality of longitudinal integral depending extensions formed from its base extending the entire length of the tie adapted to prevent transverse and longitudinal movement of the tie.

JACOB A. HYLE. 

